Old Gas, You Ain't Going to Believe This!

Posted by Don Wadge on October 17, 2005 at 12:08:19 from (205.200.74.201):

I've been collecting old tractors since 1975 and somewhere along the line I bought a D100 Versatile 4WD which is Versatiles first year tractor. More recently I started acquiring some of their early combines. Last year I bought a 1970 Versatile 5000 combine with hydrostatic drive. It has a Chrysler 318 Industrial engine. (This is one of the very early 5000's,most had Ford 360 Industrial engines) When I found the combine it was in an old shed and the roof had pretty much given out and was beginning to fall in on it. It was a dirt floor and the combine had sunk in to the depth of the front rubber. I dug it out and the owner pulled it out with a large tractor and because of the hydrostatic we basically draggged it out. First thing I did was check the gas tank with the expectation that there would not be much in it and I would just drain it into a pail. Well, the tank was 1/2 to 2/3 full and the combine last ran in 1986. So, I figured #1 what to do with that amount of fuel, #2 why not try it, #3 if it runs why not use it. I could not turn the engine in the spring but I did not think it would be seriously stuck as the exhasts were covered so I filled each cylinder with WD40 and let it sit all summer. A couple of weeks ago I began seriously trying to get it started. The mice had built a nest in the bellhousing and the starter drive was rusted solid, so off to the repair shop with that. Next I filed the points, put spark indicators on two plugs; sometimes, good spark, sometimes no spark, sometimes weak spark. So I put on new points and condensor. Same thing. Start checking the wires. The wires had been repalced with the carbon type and no carbon center on the coil wire at the coil. Cut that off and replaced wire end and now good spark. So I poured about half a cup of gas into the top of the carburetor. Turned the engine over for a good bit as it was a little flooded from the amount of gas I put in. Then it started firing and took off. Ran like sh** for the first minute or so blowing old rust and carbon out of the exhausts but it just kept on going on that 19 year old gas. Next I jumped down got in the cab, raised the pick-up, moved the hydro forward (good) then reversed (good) drove it arounf the yard. I let it run for 30 - 40 minutes and just before I shut it off I pulled it down to a slow idle and it idled very nicely. Kind of (very!) thrilling when you first start an old machine that hasn't run for a long time and you're not really sure if it still might. On this combine the engine is mounted up top behind the grain tank and has dual mufflers, one of which had disintegrated so it sounded pretty cranky but running nice.

Follow Ups:

• Re: Old Gas, You Ain't Going to Believe This! Mie S 806/H 10:57:41 10/22/05 (0)
• Re: Old Gas, You Ain't Going to Believe This! Dave_Id 11:09:20 10/18/05 (0)
• Re: Old Gas, You Ain't Going to Believe This! Redmud 04:39:15 10/18/05 (0)
• Re: Old Gas, You Ain't Going to Believe This! arod 15:05:34 10/17/05 (0)
• Re: Old Gas, You Ain't Going to Believe This! doogdoog 14:14:33 10/17/05 (0)
• Re: Old Gas, You Ain't Going to Believe This! 37 chief 14:12:10 10/17/05 (0)
• Re: Old Gas, You Ain't Going to Believe This! John S-B 13:30:58 10/17/05 (1)
  • Re: Old Gas, You Ain't Going to Believe This! mark 19:18:47 10/17/05 (0)

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